


What If I Say I'm Not Like the Others?

by taggianto



Series: The Pretender [2]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - BDSM, Dom/sub, Internalized Bullshit, Kneeling, M/M, Substance Abuse, self harm mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-28 23:19:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13914303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taggianto/pseuds/taggianto
Summary: Kent knew from a young age that he was different.He also knew, from a young age, what being different meant.





	What If I Say I'm Not Like the Others?

In fifth grade, all the teachers in Kent’s school gathered their students together into a big room and wheeled in a TV on a cart. Mr. Thomas told them all that they were going to watch a special video to teach them all about “dynamics.” A smattering of giggling and whispering broke out among the 10 and 11 year olds until the rest of the teachers managed to shush them and get them back under control.

The video was informative, but annoyingly vague at places. It told how there were two types of people in the world - not just boys and girls, but doms and subs. It explained that as they got older, their bodies would start to change, and soon they’d settle into one of the two dynamics. The video was very specific about saying how one dynamic wasn’t better than the other, just that they were  _ different _ from each other.

Some of the kids in Kent’s grade had already started talking about dynamics, in hushed tones on the playground or in whispered huddles at lunch. Makenzie Williams swore that she’d already been put down by a dom in who was in middle school, and all the kids listened raptly as she explained what subspace felt like. Kyle Jones said he knew he was a dom because his daddy was a dom and so was his grandpa, so that’s what he would be.

Kent was fascinated by the whole concept, but confused. Why did people have to be one or the other? Subspace sounded like fun, but so did taking care of someone like a dom would. He stayed back after class one day to ask Mr. Thomas about it.

“You’re just young yet, son,” Mr. Thomas replied kindly. “It’s normal to be confused at first, eventually you’ll settle down into one or the other, don’t worry.”

Kent nodded and figured that if Mr. Thomas said so, it must be true.

 

===

 

In his tenth grade health class, Mrs. Sauder had the class split into two groups by dynamic so that they could go over the chapters that pertained to them in their books. Kent stood awkwardly near his desk as the rest of the class dutifully split and started reading.

Mrs. Sauder spotted him and came over. “Kent? Is everything okay?”

“Um, yes, ma’am, I just…” He bit his lip, feeling awkward and a bit ashamed.

“Sweetie, do you not know your dynamic yet? That’s okay, sometimes kids are late bloomers. You can just go sit with whichever group you’re more comfortable with.” She smiled at him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Uh, I think -- I mean, can… can people be… both? I mean, I feel like I’m--”

Mrs. Sauder shook her head quickly. “No, no, honey. It’s okay. You’re just confused. People only have one dynamic, either dom or sub, just like God decided.”

Kent furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “I didn’t think we were supposed to talk about God at school?”

Mrs. Sauder dropped her hand from his shoulder and sighed. “Yes, Kent, the school board doesn’t like us talking about God in school, but that doesn’t change how He made the world. You’re just confused, honey. Come now, why don’t you sit over with the rest of the subs? There’s a good boy.”

Kent did as he was told, chewing on his pencil eraser as he half-heartedly read the chapter on aftercare in his book. 

Maybe he was just broken.

 

===

 

It wasn’t until two years later, his second year being homeschooled while he played in the Q, that he even first heard the term “switch.”

He was in a room party after an away game, sipping half a wine cooler out of a red solo cup and listening raptly as one of the older boys - Mark - talked about girls he’d dommed.

“So I was at this party, right? And there’s this really hot chick hanging all over me like, fuck yeah I wanted in on that, and she was talking about how it was really hard for her to go down and like, only the best doms could do it and shit so I was like, yeah baby, I can totally get you down, like, you have no idea. So then we get back to my room and I’m starting to talk to her and like, telling her to get down on her knees and shit and she just kinda like, looks at me all weird?” Mark stopped to take a long swig from his wine cooler before he kept going. “And then she starts going into this shit about how she hasn’t subbed for anyone in forever and then she like, drops this bomb on me that she normally fuckin  _ doms _ people and I was like, what the fuck? And she said, she’s like, ‘I’m a switch,’ and I was like, well fuck that, I don’t need no uppity sub thinking that they can like, fuckin’ dom me or some shit…”

“What’s a switch?” Kent asked before thinking, then blushed deep red as everyone turned to look at him.

Mark gave him a confused look. “The fuck, Parse?”

“Nevermind…” Kent said into his cup, embarrassed.

“Nah dude, don’t worry about it. Switches are just subs that think they can fuckin’ dom people, that’s all. They’re all like ‘I can be both, I switch’ and like, fuck that, that’s just not like… natural, y’know? They’re just confused and pissy that they’re subs and not doms, y’know?”

Kent nodded furiously, relieved when Mark launched back into his story.

He glanced over by the door then to see the Zimmermann boy giving him a strange look. Kent arched an eyebrow, but Jack just turned away and looked at the floor. Whatever. Zimms was fuckin’ weird.

 

===

 

Kent was a dom. He knew that. He wanted to play in the NHL, and you couldn’t play in the NHL if you were a sub, so Kent was a dom. 

He knew Jack was a dom too, because otherwise he wouldn’t be able to play as beautifully as he did on the ice. And he played some pretty fuckin’  _ gorgeous _ hockey, the kind of hockey that Kent was honored to watch, even more so to be a part of. And it seemed like Jack wanted him to be a part of it - they were always the first two at practice, the last two to leave, they worked on plays during their free time, and did their homework together so they could talk about hockey while they worked. 

So Kent was a dom and Jack was a dom and it didn’t mean anything that Kent got a little fuzzy around the edges when Jack told him he had a good shift, and it didn’t mean anything that Kent always made sure that he put Jack’s clothes out for him after his shower so that they wouldn’t be late getting to the rink, and it didn’t mean anything when they were both in Kent’s bed, kissing and moaning and all Kent wanted to do was suck Jack’s cock until he came, and wait until Jack told him he could come too.

It didn’t mean anything. It really, really didn’t. 

Just like it didn’t mean anything when Jack told him he thought he might be a switch, and Kent admitted that he might be one too.

Just like it didn’t mean anything when Jack drank too much, or Kent partied too hard, or Jack took too many pills, or Kent had scars on his thighs.

Just like it didn’t mean anything when Jack overdosed and cut Kent out of his life like he was nothing.

Because he didn’t mean anything.

He really, really didn’t.

**Author's Note:**

> So this literally came pouring out of my fingers in less than an hour after I posted the first part of this series. I have absolutely no idea where it came from. Uh... enjoy?
> 
> Title from "The Pretender" by Foo Fighters because apparently there is a theme here.
> 
> Thanks again to the Parse Posi Posse!!


End file.
